Published May 20, 2026
Bert Jones and Rick Jackson have advanced to a runoff in the Georgia Republican gubernatorial primary, extending a bitter fight over who will represent the party in November’s midterm elections.
Mr. Jones, the Georgia lieutenant governor, and Mr. Jackson, a health care billionaire, will face off again in a June 16 runoff after neither garnered enough support to win the nomination outright after Tuesday’s vote.
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The winner will seek to replace Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who is barred from re-election due to term limits.
President Donald Trump endorsed Jones last year, and Jones thanked him Tuesday night. A victory for Mr. Jones would strengthen Mr. Trump’s influence in Georgia, a key battleground state with a mixed history as a political kingmaker.
The Democratic Party is also selecting candidates for the gubernatorial election for the first time since 1998.
The Democratic camp includes former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Republican Lieutenant Governor Jeff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Estevez and former state Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond.
Jasmine Clark secures nomination in critical Georgia House race
Separately, Democrat Jasmine Clark won her party’s nomination Tuesday to replace the late U.S. Rep. David Scott, who was seeking reelection in Georgia’s 13th Congressional District, after his death in April.
Clark, a state legislator, microbiologist and Emory University lecturer, has promised to prioritize science policy in Congress. Clark said his campaign was boosted by more than $2 million in outside spending from crypto organizations, but he did not seek their support.
She is expected to receive significant support in the November election, when Jonathan Chavez is running unopposed in the primary and will be the Republican nominee.
Meanwhile, in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race, two-term U.S. Rep. Mike Collins advanced to the Republican runoff.
Collins, 58, who runs his family’s trucking business and represents East Atlanta, has worked closely with President Trump and calls himself a “MAGA mainstay.” Immigration enforcement is central to his campaign.
The Georgia Republican Party is seeking a challenger to Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Among Collins’ rivals, Rep. Buddy Carter touted his conservative record in Congress, and former college football coach Derek Dooley presented himself as a political outsider.
Millions poured into Georgia gubernatorial race
More than $125 million was spent on advertising in Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial primary, more than $66 million of which went to Jackson’s campaign, according to the latest statistics from ad tracking firm AdImpact. By contrast, Democrats running for governor have only spent about $4 million.
Jones argues that his conservative background as a state senator and lieutenant governor, combined with his support for Trump, should make him the clear choice for Republican voters.
“I think Georgia has just spoken, folks,” Jones said at an election night party.
“It’s because of my friends and family that I’m confident we’ll win,” he said.
Mr. Jackson is betting that his outsider rhetoric will win him support among dissident conservatives. On Tuesday night, he called Jones a political insider “working inside the system for his own benefit.”
“You can’t buy me out, and I’m not going to back down,” Jackson said.
